Fifth wheel attachment

Claim 1

A portable, self-contained fifth wheel device for detachable mounting on a vehicle, such as a fork lift truck or the like, for towing a wheeled container, such as a trailer, comprising: a. a frame for detachable connection on a wheeled vehicle of the type having a pair of spaced apart support arms, said frame having a pair of spaced apart, oppositely disposed housings with a front end and a rear end and including elongated hollow channels for receiving a corresponding pair of support arms therein from said rear end; b. said frame including an upper surface and a lower surface with a fifth wheel pivotally mounted to said upper surface of said frame for detachable connection to a wheeled container; c. locking means supported by said frame for selective engagement with said support arms when disposed in said housing channels, each of said channels includes members secured thereto in confronting relation to a respective one of said arms for clamping said support arms therebetween; d. said locking means further includes: i. a first threaded socket extending into the hollow channel on each of said housing along the lower surface thereof, ii. a second threaded socket extending into said hollow channel on each of said housing on a plane transversely of each said first threaded socket, and iii. a threaded member extending through each of said threaded sockets into the housing for engagement with the arms of the fork lift truck and having a screw lock handle externally of said frame for locking said frame in place relative to the arms of the fork lift truck; e. releasing means mounted on said frame for controlling air brakes on the wheeled container, said means including: i. an air tank mounted between said housings and comprising a pressure gauge mounted thereon with an air tank fill valve, ii. at least one air hose connected to said air tank at one end thereof and adapted to be connected to the wheeled container, and iii. valve means connected between said air tank and said air hose and operable from the fork lift truck for regulating said valve for selectively controlling the air flow; f. anchor means secured to each of said oppositely disposed housings to extend above said upper surface; g. safety ties secured at one end to said anchor means and the opposite end adapted to be secured to the fork lift truck or the like, said safety ties include spaced apart chains secured to each of said anchor means; and h. spacing means extending rearwardly from said air tank to said valve means in the direction of the fork lift truck or the like, so as to prevent the wheeled container from accidentally engaging said air hose, said spacing means extending beyond said rear end.